


An Android's Guide to Petting a Dog

by Hypno_Cat



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, BAMF Connor, Canon-Typical Violence, Connor Deserves Happiness, Detective Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Good Parent Hank Anderson, M/M, Markus see's Connor smile and its over for him, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Hank Anderson, RK1000 - Freeform, Slow Burn, YouTube, Youtube AU, dad! hank, no beta we die like men, playing fast and loose with how police investigations work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-06-17 23:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypno_Cat/pseuds/Hypno_Cat
Summary: Following a whim as he tries to escape memories that only wish to kill him, Connor stumbles onto a path that'll change his life for the better.He just needs to get through the worst of it, first.





	1. Snowy Memories

It’s snowing like hell, and Connor hates it with every single line of code in his body. It reminds him too much of _that_ day, of his gun trained on Markus’ back, of Amanda’s cold words, of the horror from being unable to control his own body that had nestled deep within him only weeks ago.

The snowstorm reminds him of his own version of hell.

The snow, calmly floating down, yet holding the metaphorical gun of memories he never wanted to encounter again to his head. It’s unsettling, nerve-wracking, and-

**W A R N I N G**

**STRESS LEVELS: 57% AND RISING**

Shit - that wasn’t good. What was he going to do? What to do what to Do wHaT TO d0 WHat t0 D O0, HiS chest was feeling WeiGhted, LikE a HouSe wA s usInG iT aS FOUndATiOn, iT wAS KiLliNg HIm-

No, he needed to think through this rationally, before it got out of control. He was a Deviant, and Deviant’s sim- no, _felt_ emotions. Ergo, perhaps he should attempt to treat the stress as he would a human? It was worth a try.

_It was so cold. Snow was billowing around him, it was all white, it was all white. There was no escape. He would be trapped here forever, Amanda would take control, but no, she already has control._

_He was going to die here, and he was going to take Markus, the beacon of hope with him._

_He didn’t want to kill anyone else._

He pulled up his built-in search engine, entering the keywords ‘anxiety relief’ - most likely comparison to get results that worked. He pressed enter, and his processors stuttered for a moment under the sudden influx of information - 278,002,047 results had shown up. It felt overwhelming.

**W A R N I N G**

**STRESS LEVELS: 63% AND RISING**

Taking a deep breath, he paused a moment to allow it all to catch up, before dividing the first 100 results into simple categories. The top suggestion was talk to someone you trust - tempting, but it was also 2:30 in the morning, and he didn’t want to bother Hank with this. The man had allowed him to take refuge at his house, no need to give him a reason to kick Connor out while he was still processing what happened that day, two weeks ago-

_His hand was raised, gun steady in his hand, the cold bite of the Zen Garden still eating at him, he couldn’t get it off, his hand was still raised-_

The android took in a shuddering gasp of air he didn’t need and returned to the results. The second highest one was to pet an animal - easy enough, Sumo was already at his feet. But… that didn’t feel.... right. Thinking about it, he did want to talk. Maybe just not about what was plaguing him, at least, not right now. But he wanted - no, he needed a distraction. And while talking to Sumo was nice… It didn’t really feel like what he needed.

**^SOFTWARE INSTABILITY**

The small popup almost distracted him for a moment- Connor had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the unnecessary notification. He was deviant, it’s a little late to be getting that warning- and after a moment to think, entered a different search key.

**_‘How to talk without bothering others’_ **

The search came up with fewer results than last time, to his relief. He selected the first link - some sort of ask/answer website, though he didn’t bother-

A hefty gust of wind blew outside, and for a moment he was taken back _there, with Amanda’s back facing him, snow blowing into his eyes and freezing him, the thirium in his tubes pumping sluggishly slow, he was going to di e_ _-_ and then Sumo nudged his hand, whining, and Connor felt himself fall back to earth. At least, as grounded as he could be while snow clung to the windows, ever visible, ever taunting.

**W A R N I N G**

**STRESS LEVELS: 70% AND SLOWLY RISING**

Right, the search. He scanned the page, dismissing anything that wouldn’t be of importance. If his levels got too much higher, he might have to wake Hank, and something, deep within him, despised the idea of bothering the Lieutenant. His emotions were of no importance. No need to bother the man while he was sleeping. No, he could manage this on his own.

He can do this.

He started reading the info left. Write your feelings down. No, he didn’t really want to focus on those at the moment. He just wanted a distraction, someone to talk to, some sort of thing to accomplish.

The next suggestion was talk to a recording device which… actually... wasn’t that bad an idea. He could talk about whatever he wanted, even something lighthearted.

A nervous smile made its way to his face. Something lighthearted sounded nice.

**W A R N I N G**

**STRESS LEVELS: 71% AND STABLE**

Finding a camera was easy - Hank had insisted on getting him a phone in case he ever needed to blend in as a human, if the world suddenly fell into hell and he needed to escape. He had thought it unnecessary, but right now…

Well, he really appreciated the man, that was for certain.

He set the phone up, propping it on the coffee table, facing the sofa. It didn’t hide the sight outside the window, but then again, there really wasn’t a good area in the house that did. With the time Hank had gone to bed (Eleven, although his breathing took an extra ten minutes to finally even out) he should be in his deep sleep cycle right now, and most likely will be for another ten minutes. Afterwards, he’d go into a lighter sleep stage, and the risk of waking him accidentally would double. So he had to figure out what he was going to do, and do it quickly.

What to record?

What to do?

_What to do, don’t look outside, what to do, what to do, don’t_ \- Sumo whined, pawing at his leg gently.

Sumo.

Connor scratched behind the Saint Bernard’s ears, before 'gracefully' sliding down onto the floor to meet his height. Dogs were comforting, and one of the most cheerful things you could find. Sumo certainly was no exception to that, with his soft fur, big ears, and copious amounts of drool that Connor loves. Maybe… Maybe somebody would even come across the video, and Sumo’s beautiful face would make their day that much better.

Maybe- Maybe, he could do a sort of tutorial.

Most androids weren’t automatically equipped with the ability to take care of animals, instead, the ability typically being an add-on that could be purchased. Maybe an android will stumble on his video on accident, and learn. Or not, but the possibility was still thrilling.

He could be of use to someone.

**STRESS LEVELS: 62% AND LOWERING**

**MISSION: CREATE VIDEO**

The deviant smiled softly at the camera as he hacked it on, not wanting to move. “Hello, I’m Connor, the- and this beautiful pup,” he paused for a second, scratching the dog’s head for emphasis “Is Sumo. Possibly the worst guard dog in existence, and I absolutely love him for it.” He kept his voice just low enough that it would barely reach Hank’s room.

“So, to pet a dog…”

The activity was surprisingly effective. As his stress decreased, he found himself enjoying the action more and more. It felt easy, talking to a camera, no judging eyes or facial cues that told him he was being awkward. And, Sumo absolutely loved the attention, which made it all the more enjoyable.

As time went by, he could feel his body relaxing against the sofa, and the snow outside was just that, outside and far away from him.

He felt safe.

Connor barely managed to post the video before he fell ‘asleep’, as Hank liked to call it.

**STRESS LEVELS: 03% AND STABLE**

 

 

The next thing he knew there was the rustling of clothes and a clink of some sort of glass. Connor opened his eyes in an instant, jumping to his feet, only one thought on his mind; who the hell dared enter his house?

His vision went into Analysis Mode without a second thought, grids stretching all around as his processors buzzed to life, time seemingly slowing, his eyes scanning and- Oh, it was only Hank.

“Holy _shit_!” Hank spun around, eyes wide, heart rate much faster than it should be, and stress levels spiking. “Ah, good morning kid. Sorry, thought you were still asleep.” Connor opened his mouth to speak, maybe greet the Lieutenant, or remind him that he didn’t ‘sleep’, only went into a mildly unconscious state that allowed his processors to sort through the data that it received throughout the day-

_Ding!_ A notification sounded, telling him he had an email. Non-important, but an email nonetheless. And then, _Ding!_...

Huh, odd. Two non-important emails in one day?

_Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!_

It wouldn’t stop. It wouldn’t stop, his eyes were blown wide, and it wouldn’t stop. He could distinctly hear Hank calling his name, but he couldn’t speak, the notifications were intrusive, they were too much, they were too much, he needed them to stop but they wouldn’t.

_Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!_

They w ou ld n’ t s to p.

_Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!_ Hank seemed to be growing more worried by the second, but he couldn’t process what he was saying if anything.

It was all just noise. The infernal notification was drowning everything out, he couldn’t stop it, it wouldn’t stop!

_Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding_ -

In a moment of desperation, Connor slammed his hand on the side of his neck, and all of a sudden, all auditory inputs ceased - most importantly, the obnoxious alert.

**BIOCOMPONENT #8239e MILDLY DAMAGED - SELF REPAIR NECESSARY**

Hank was by his side now, mouthing words he couldn’t hear - he had hit the audio processor hard enough to momentarily deafen himself, it seemed. It took 0.06 seconds for his systems to read the man’s lips “-onnor kid, you alright? C’mon son, talk to me.” The man’s stress levels were increasing rapidly - up to thirty percent now. Elevated stress could lead to heart problems in humans, he needed to calm the Lieutenant quickly. The android nodded cautiously, clearing his throat for a moment.

He needed to speak.

He didn’t trust himself to speak.

But, Hank was looking at him expectantly, and like hell he was going to ignore the man who had given him shelter in a time of uncertainty… Or at least, in this setting. If he ever got the chance to accompany the man to a crime scene again, that may lead to a different story. But right now, he stood in the man’s house, not occompanying him at a murder scene.

“I… I’m a-afraid there was an abundance of e-e-mails that were low-priority enough for my systems to hold off on notifying me about until I was in a more aware state.” He took a small moment to calibrate his vocal module. “The notifications were auditory only, and- and became overwhelming.” An understatement, but Hank didn’t need all the nitty-gritty.

“So ya fucking hit your neck? The hell kinda twisted logic is that?” Hank’s stress levels were still in the thirties.

Connor rubbed at the spot, sparing a sheepish grin “I actually damaged my audio processor since it handles both internal and external noises. Not to worry though, my hearing should return at most in half an hour.” It was becoming easier to speak, although… It still felt uncomfortable. He was used to being able to listen to himself speak, had been able to get the feedback since being brought online for the first time, and now he had to manage without. It was… strange.

Hank’s face softened slightly, and his stress levels dipped into the high twenties. Excellent. “So you’re practically deaf right now?” Connor nodded. “And it should be fixed soon. Right?” Another nod. “Okay, okay, good. Let me grab a bowl of cereal, and we’ll chill and watch TV with subtitles on or somethin’.” He paused for a moment.

Connor thought idly if the man had an LED, it’d probably be swirling yellow about now.

“So uh, what were all the notifications anyway?” Connor froze. Somehow, despite the sheer amount of dings, he never really thought about what they were telling him.

He was, y’know, a little preoccupied. Opening the application, his processors lagged for a second. Email after email, all saying something akin to the last.

User LilMads Commented on your video.   
User Atarix Subscribed to your channel!   
User m8tylove Liked your video.   
User ThiccTittyKitty Subscribed to your channel!   
User 887bTCH Liked your video.   
User 2cats1house Commented on your video!   
User myneckmybackmydepressionandmy Subscribed to your channel!

Oh.

“Uh, Hank?”

"Yeah, kid? What is it?” 

“I may have, as you say, fucked up.” Connor didn’t bother to address the Lieutenants most likely disturbed expression, instead making his way to the man’s computer. His synthetic skin pulled, allowing him to interface with the machine.

Absently, he noted that his audio processor was coming back online sooner than expected because in the background he could hear something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Damn it, Connor’ as the man settled beside him (Fortunately, it seemed the notifications had stopped for now. Thank rA9 for small favors).

The RK800 paid him no mind, focusing on getting to the page. What on earth would it-There, front and center was the video he posted just six hours ago.

Maybe that wouldn’t be so strange if it weren’t at the top of the trending page, with three million views.

“Hoo0-ly sh1t.” Hank’s voice was distorted (although Connor just found it comforting that he could hear) and the Android could only share his sentiment. A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned into the familiar pressure. “Alright, I’ll bite, do you mind telling me why the fuck you and my dog are currently... Number one in trending on youtube?”

Connor opened his mouth to speak once, twice, thrice before just shrugging to the man.

Hank sighed. “Alright, let me rephrase that. Why is there a video of you two on there, in the first place?” Oh, he could answer that.

“I…” He paused a second. Something warm bubbled in his chest, along with the feeling that he shouldn’t tell Hank the full reason. There was no need to bother the man. “I grew bored, and couldn’t go into stasis. To try and settle my restlessness, I put my processors to work with the task of creating a video. I never expected it to get quite so… popular.” Not technically a lie, but not technically the truth, either. He studied the video like it would relinquish some sort of answer.

The title was simple, and the thumbnail was no better - It was just a screencap from the middle of the video, when he was laughing as Sumo licked his cheek, hand to his mouth as he tried to keep the noise down. It was nothing spectacular.

And yet, it was #1 on trending.

Hank seemed to have taken his silence as something else entirely. “Look kid, I’m not mad if that’s what you’re thinking. Ah… Proud, actually. Let’s just… How about we go watch the news or something for now, yeah?”

Connor hesitated, looking at the video like it had just told him Hank was an android, or something equally strange and nonsensical. And then, “Yeah… Yeah, okay.”


	2. Breaking News - A Beautiful Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Connor wins over the entire human and android race with a simple smile.

It was a… peaceful day, Markus supposed. The news was playing in the background, his processors idly listening for any mention of Androids, their movement, Deviants, or the like while focusing on the paperwork in front of him.

 

It was peaceful, and yet, incredibly dull.

 

Josh sat beside him, rephrasing certain things and pointing out certain ways a word could change the tone he was writing in. Simon, leaning on the wall, was scrolling through articles on a tablet pausing every once in a while to write down a certain point they’d need to address, while North was draped across the couch, LED yellow as she wrote the beginnings of a press release - Josh would almost certainly have to edit it later to take her… violent edge off.

 

The room itself was a warm yellow, and sheer curtains hung to the sides of the massive window. It used to be a bedroom, but after they had taken over the abandoned Hotel, it had been turned into an official office for the heads of the movement. There  _ was _ more than the one desk, but the others really just perched wherever - not that Markus was complaining, by any means. 

 

“-and in other news, the first trending YouTube video created by an android has recently made its way to number one on the site.” 

 

“What?” Markus’ hand stilled, opting to look at the TV, Josh turning next to him. Markus couldn’t see the others with how his head was angled, but he could only assume they were similarly captivated. 

 

“Overnight, the video has reached three million views and is steadily climbing as we speak. The YouTuber, with no previous videos, identifies himself as Connor. The contents? Well, I could tell you, but I think it’s better if you see it for yourself!” The newscaster smiles brightly to the camera, and the screen fades to black.

 

“You don’t think it’s-” North starts, and Markus swears he can hear her processors whirring.

 

“Nah, couldn’t be,” Josh adds, his seat squealing as he reclines back.

 

Simon shushes them as the screen brightens once again, this time with a… serene scene. A dimly lit room, a fluffy St. Bernard sitting in front of a well-worn couch, and… “Well, I’ll be damned.”

 

Simon doesn’t even get the time to scold North before the RK800 opened his mouth, his eyes expressing some sort of emotion that Markus couldn’t put a name to.  “Hello, I’m Connor, and this beautiful pup is Sumo. Possibly the worst guard dog in existence, and I absolutely love him for it.” The man’s voice was soft, and a gentle smile was painted on his face. It was hypnotizing.

 

Connor looked a lot different from the last time Markus had seen him. His face was much more expressive - showcased wonderfully as he glanced down with a soft expression aimed at the dog, ‘Sumo’ in his lap. He no longer bore Cyberlife’s jacket, and instead was wearing a grey hoodie and sweats. He looked… Comfortable. 

 

The footage skipped forward just as the android was about to open his mouth, instead landing on a scene that had even North cooing- the St. Bernard had perked up and darted for Connor’s chin, said man trying to stifle a laugh as he pushed the dog away.

 

It was, needless to say, absolutely precious.

 

And all too soon, the screen cut back onto the newscaster, her eyes swimming with amusement. “While not much is currently known about the mysterious Connor apart from his username, ConnorNRXN, I think I speak for all of the station when I say I hope he continues to create videos. In other news-” 

 

“Wow.” 

 

“Well, I dunno about you guys, but I just found my newest addition to ‘Viva La Revolution’, if the rest of the video is as fucking cute as that.” Of course, that was North. Markus could only roll his eyes, shaking his head at the woman and quickly closing out the dialogue option that all-too shamelessly agreed with her. 

 

“I wonder if he knows he’s made the news?” They all paused for a moment at Simon’s query. Did he? Would anyone have told him? 

 

“... Probably?” 

  
  
  
  


Connor, as luck would have it, did  _ not _ know that his video had made the news. In fact, he and Hank had only just barely sat down on the couch when the Lieutenant’s phone went off, the screen displaying in bold letters ‘Captain Fucknut Calling’. He paused for a moment, before sighing. “Hey, Jeffrey, whatcha’ need.” 

 

His tone, Connor identified with amusement, was flatter than the beer he had accidentally left open last night. 

 

“Are you kidding?... No no, he’s right here. Alright, I’ll tell him. What time is it?... I’ll be there at twelve. Whether he- I’ll try my best, alright? Jesus.” He groaned, hanging up the phone with more pressure than necessary. “Well kid, I’m off suspension due to low manpower. And if ya want, Jeffery’s willing to pull a few strings to hire you as a detective - pay and all. Course, I don’t blame you if you never want to-”

 

“Really?” Connor’s eyes practically shone as he sat up on the couch, reminiscent of an eager puppy. Hank stopped mid-sentence, instead only smiling fondly as the android that prided himself in having a good poker-face practically bounced up and down with excitement.

 

Anyone who told him Androids were unfeeling, cold machines were fucking stupid. “‘Course. But uh… on an unrelated topic, kid, don’t you want some different clothes? Y’know, change it up some, have a style?”

 

Connor blinked at him owlishly, taken aback by the change of subject. “I… don’t perspire? So there’s really no need for me to have more…” He trailed off a bit, watching as Hank’s face grew exasperated. “Ah, you know what, I was totally just thinking about that.” He really  _ hadn’t _ , but the thinly-veiled thrilled look that grew on Hank’s face was more satisfying than any shred of common-sense. 

 

“We have a few hours before I promised to report in. A few clothing stores should probably be up-and-running by now, right?” 

 

Hank’s question was obviously rhetorical as he moved away to grab a jacket by the front door, but Connor felt the need to answer it regardless. “Indeed, there’s a few that have advertised that they’re reopening, although multiple poplar stores seem to still be closed after the evacuation.” Hank only hummed in thought as he slipped his shoes on. “In addition, there are six open in a two-mile radius, most deeper downtown. Four of them have a rating of over four stars, one being a five star - it’s advertising indicates that it mostly sells formal wear.”

 

The Lieutenant hummed, crouching down to pat Sumo on the head. “Be good for me, we’ll be back tonight bud,” he spared a rare smile for the St. Bernard. “Spoiled Mutt.” Sumo only thumped his tail twice, barely sparing a glance for the duo as he laid back down on the dog bed. 

 

“You do know Sumo isn’t a M-”

 

“Con, I couldn’t care less.”

 

Outside, the ground was white with fluffy, harshly bright, snow. For a second, Connor could only think of last night, the cOld MeMorIEs thaT contINuEd TO haUnT hIm- and then, Hank was looking at him strangely, and he forced his LED to cycle back to blue. 

 

His legs felt heavy, but they still responded when he forced action on a line of code - thank rA9 for small favors. And when he climbed into Hank’s car, the heat was already blasting, thank goodness. Not that heat or cold affected him the way it did humans, but he could still sense temperatures, and not to mention the cold made his thirium move much more sluggishly, which wasn’t fun for anyone.

 

“Alright, where’s the largest cluster of stores in one area?”

 

“Take a left.”

 

The car ride was mostly silent, save the occasional directions or ‘you missed your turns’  _ (“D’ya think you could warn me a bit sooner?”) _ Despite that it was comfortable, as long as Connor averted his gaze from the frigid outside. He could just pretend that they were driving through the void or some other nonsensical idea that made his common sense program want to crash.

 

He could pretend that the snow outside wasn’t real.

 

Hank didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, which was both a blessing and a curse. He didn’t wish to bother him, but at the same time- “So kid, do you think you’ll continue making videos? Or was that a one-and-done?”

 

Connor felt a small smile creep onto his face. Hank always knew when to cut off his lines of code, even if the man didn’t exactly realize it. “Well, according to the comments that were left on the last one, I think I’d disappoint quite a few people if I did not.”

 

“Oh really? What are they saying?” There was a light tone to the man's voice - usually, an indicator that Connor was in for a treat. The last time it made an appearance, Hank caught an entire pizza slice in his mouth and continued to eat it with no assistance. Impressive, to say the least. Disgusting, incredibly so, but impressive.

 

“Ah, take a right in fifty feet. Some of the most recent; ‘This is the most adorable thing to happen since sliced bread.’ Oh, and here’s one offering a sexu-”

 

“ANYWAY!” Hank shouted, interrupting Connor, the later hiding an amused grin behind his hand as the man practically recoiled in his seat. “Uh, the, uh, viewer’s opinions don’t matter. What really matters is, do you like doing it?”

 

Connor hardly had to think about it but gave it a few seconds of thought regardless. “Yeah, I do.”

 

“Good, good. Now,” he paused, letting his sentence be punctuated by the jangle of car keys as they turned “get the fuck out of my car.” 

 

Connor obliged, light look of amusement on his face vanishing as he stepped into a small pile of snow. 

 

Fuck.

 

_ Don’t think about the garden don’t think about the garden don’t think about the garden don’t think about the garden don’t think about the garden don’t think about the garden dOn’T th1nK ab0ut th3 garDen-  _ “Connor! You coming?”

 

The RK800 forced a breath past his lips, forcing his hand to still. “Coming, Lieutenant!” He ignored the frown on the man's lips, ignored the gruff ‘My name is Hank, in case you’ve forgotten.’ He ignored the snow crunching underneath his feet, the harsh wind that blew his borrowed hoodie’s hood back, he ignored the memories.

 

His eyes were set on his destination, the inside of the glowing, warm store. 

 

A part of him was practically screaming, telling him to go back, walk with Hank,  _ to stop being so fucking rude. _

 

Its pleas were ignored. He needed to esCap3. He needed to get away, to feel the warmth that reminded him he was  _ alive _ .

 

**WARNING** **  
****  
** **STRESS LEVELS 68% AND RISING**

 

Now he was at the entrance. He should have looked behind him, checked on Hank, but his system was blaring alarms, screaming that if he looked back, he’d be back in the Zen Garden. 

 

He’d be back in front of  _ her. _

 

The door tingled a warm welcome, and a part of him melted. The inside was bright, walls a nice soft cream color. There were racks of clothes everywhere, sorted by styles.

 

It was nothing like the always-vibrant hues the garden sported.

 

“Connor, what the  _ fuck _ was that?”  Hank’s voice sounded behind him, and Connor  _ jumped.  _ Since when did Hank startle him? “Kid?”

 

Speak. He needed to  _ speak.  _ And now Hank was looking at him weirdly, and what color was his LED? And this was the second time his stress had spiked in twelve hours, he really ought to look into that, and- “Sorry Hank, I… Got excited. This is my first time seeing the inside of a clothing store.”

 

The man looked at him with a certain degree of awe. “Jesus Christ, here I thought you were malfunctioning or something, and you mean to tell me… Never change Con, never change.” 

 

“I don’t intend to.” But he  _ was _ changing. His stress had been through the roof, and just seeing snow… “I’m not exactly sure where to go. Could you lead the way?”

 

Hank huffed a laugh but obliged, bringing Connor over to the shirt aisle. “Alright kid, choose what you like.” 

  
  


Looking at clothing was… fun. There were so many different styles, textures, and colors, that it made it hard to choose, and Hank kept a straight face whenever Connor tried to gauge what he liked. But, it was also nice to find explore and find different things. 

 

He got an abundance of hoodies, his favorites being  ‘I’m barking mad!’, ‘It’s a ruff life’, and one with dog ears sewn into the hood that was  _ definitely _ too large for him - not that he cared. He also got a few pairs of jeans and three sets of pajamas (His favorite was a collage of dogs wearing sunglasses that were absolutely adorable). And, at Hank’s insistence, he stopped by the winter section to grab some ‘weather appropriate’ things.

 

“The green, or the yellow?” Hank squinted at the beanies, evaluating them both.

 

“I mean, kid, they’re both a buck. Not gonna kill anyone if you get two hats.”

 

“A… Alright.” The android smiled, hesitantly at first, but soon it grew into a wide grin that he couldn’t contain. “Thank you, Hank.”

 

The memories of that cold night sat far away in the back of his mind, scared away by the warmth that spread throughout him as Hank pulled him into a side hug.

 

He felt safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Oh, this is totally going to be a slow burn.  
> Also me: And Markus was like, dammnnnn, that smile tho
> 
> If you want to see the Dog pajamas, they're advertised here; https://barkpost.com/dog-loving-mother-in-law/
> 
> Hopefully, this came out well! Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Rat-bastard

The rest of the shopping trip went by without an incident. Connor, despite his previous hesitance, was actually rather excited to have his own clothing now - he had even immediately pulled on the dog-ear hoodie, which was delightfully soft.

And, at Hank’s insistence, he placed an order for a suit, too. Luckily for them, while humans needed to go in to have it tailored - even in the age of holographic tags and sentient androids - thanks to the fact that Connor was literally created and couldn’t gain or lose weight, all he had to do was send in his pre-set measurements.

“Hank, we still have an hour until we’re expected. You haven’t yet eaten, perhaps you should get something?” Connor suggested after a few moments of silence, idly rolling the ever-familiar quarter over his knuckles in a soothing, but quiet, manner.

The man in question hummed, considering it. “If I do, are you going to tell me all the horrid ways it could kill me?”

The corners of Connor’s mouth twisted upwards into what the man could only describe as a playful smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Hank gave him a suspicious glance, but the man started towards the nearest fast food restaurant regardless, leaving the statement alone.

A large portion of Detroit had been affected, but most chain stores had remained relatively unaffected by the sudden evacuation. Most likely because the wages were terrible even in the current economy, so the few human employees that did manage to get hired had nothing to flee with.

Instead, they remained open; glowing signs becoming a stark contrast to the cold, dark stores surrounding that were practically abandoned.

“I’ll take a cheese and sausage muffin.” Hank’s gruff voice brought Connor back to the present, and the android with a hint of amusement noted how akin the man looked to Sumo before breakfast, with an eager light to his usual grumpy exterior.

/Command: File Note “L.Hank D.Sumo Observation” into folder “Fun”

Soon enough, the car was filled with the aroma of quickly-heated cheap food - not that Connor could smell, but he could identify different scents and their origins. Hank tore into the paper bag with fervor, and he dragged out the cheap meal.

“Could I analyze it?” The question is out of Connor’s mouth before he can think about it. Hank pauses a moment before muttering out a ‘go for it’, passing the warm breakfast along.

Connor hesitantly unwraps it, and Hank almost laughs at the suspicious look on his face. “Kid, it’s a muffin, not poison.” Connor sticks his tongue out at the man - honest to god sticks his tongue out, like a fucking child- and pokes the meat with his finger. Before Hank can say ‘Dumbass, that’s not how you eat’, or question where cyberlife’s social programs went wrong, he licks the finger, and about recoils away from the sandwich like it bit him.

“Lieutenant, I… You really shouldn’t eat that.”

“Oh yeah? Fucking try me. You ain’t gonna get between me and my sandwich, I hate to tell you. I’ll live with the ungodly amount of sodium in it or whatever the fuck is so horrid about it.” To prove his point, Hank grabbed the sausage-cheese muffin from Connor’s hand and rips off a bite of it, glaring challengingly at the android.

Connor sighed, holding his hands up in mock surrender and relaxing back into his seat. “Alright. If you insist.” A pause, and then the RK800 glanced back at Hank, a twinkle in his eyes. “After all, if you wish to eat a variety of meats that don’t belong in sausage, including, very peculiarly, rat, that’s your choice.”

“...Damn it, Connor.”

 

  
 **11:57:53**   
Detroit Police Department

The rest of the hour had been an admittedly well deserved torture for the android, with Hank blasting Knights of Black Death way too loud for his ears, and mumbling about ‘fucking androids and their bull-shit analyzing superpowers’ (Although, to the man’s credit, he did chuck the offensive ‘meal’ out).

Connor had spent the last hour worrying about Hank’s poor hearing, though if he attempted to voice his concerns, the man only cranked up the volume more.

He knew Hank wasn’t actually that mad at him, but it still felt… lonely. He was only thankful that his hood had been pulled up, so Hank wouldn’t see his LED flashing red as his mind snuck up on the poor, undistracted android.

Finally, Hank turned off the car, turning to look at Connor. “You ready, kid?”

He forced his LED’s appearance to cycle back to blue. “Of course, Lieutenant.”

Hank paused, hand falling down and gripping Connor’s shoulder with more force than necessary - he had to halt the string of code telling the side of his head to change to a yellow. “Con, you’re literally living in my house. There’s no need to be so formal.”

“Yes, Hank.” He forced a small smile and got out of the car. The man wasn’t far behind him, already shivering in the cool air.

Inside the department, the air was much warmer. The android seated at the front desk was gone, replaced by a human Connor identified as Bethany Keller, born June 7th, 2018. Hank didn’t bother with greeting her past a simple head nod. “Lieutenant Hank Anderson and Connor. We’re expected by Jeffrey?”

She nodded, gesturing them along. “Go ahead.”

Hank led the way to the bullpen, Connor trailing after him like a small child behind their parent.

~~The thought made him feel warm.~~

The department had a whole different feel from two weeks ago. Before it felt mildly chaotic, something always going on somewhere. Now, it felt.. Empty. Only two of the desks were occupied, and the noise level had gone down significantly.

It seemed Hank felt the same. “Damn…” He murmured, glancing around the room. “I haven’t seen it this empty since the massive serial killer case in thirty-five, and even then, it certainly wasn’t this quiet.”

Connor hummed thoughtfully, before gently nudging Hank to move. “Could we go before Captain Fowler shatters everyone’s eardrums yelling for you?”

Hank stared at him for a moment, before chuckling softly and ruffling Connor’s hair from beneath the hood. “Of course, kid.”

All too soon, in Connor’s opinion, they were in Fowler’s office - not to say he wasn’t excited to be hired as a detective, in fact, he was ecstatic. It was just that… Captain Fowler was a rather loud person. Connor hadn't minded much while he ‘worked’ for the DPD, but when rewatching the footage after his deviancy, it just… bothered him.

Hank sat down in a chair across from the man, and Connor was struck by how much it reminded him of the first time he and the Lieutenant had been called into the office, almost four weeks ago.

But, he was no longer a machine (At least, that’s what he _wanted_ to think. What if Amanda was right, and his deviancy was planned? What if he was still under Cyber Life's thumb?) so, to break the cycle, he sat in the other chair.

“Connor, Hank. Good to see you both in one piece.” The captain attempted what might’ve been a friendly look, and stopped to stare at Connor for a second. The android had to fight the urge to fiddle with his outfit and look for what the man found odd, instead opting for a slight head tilt and curious look. The man shook his head and straightened slightly. “There’s been a lot of chaos since the revolution, including break-ins, vandalism, and the most wonderful of all, there have been more murders called in than there has been in months. Paired with the fact that half of the force booked it outta Detroit, we’ve been stretched thin.”

“Jesus,” Hank muttered, shaking his head.

“Connor,” Captain Fowler shifted his attention to the android, and Connor straightened his back minutely. “While the laws allowing androids to work are being sorted out, you’ll be treated the same as we would treat any human. Same pay, same insurance, same uniform, etcetera.” He gestured around mindlessly. “The higher-ups would probably have my ass if they knew you’d been hired without the bills in place, but I managed to pull a few strings. When they do pass, depending on the requirements that are included, you may need to pass an exam or something else along those lines, and your pay and benefits may also be altered. Are you okay with this?”

Connor nodded.

Captain Fowler’s face broke into a genuine smile - well, it seemed more like a grimace, but it still carried the same weight. “Excellent! I’ll send you the details on the latest case. It’s pretty… gruesome, from what I hear. I assume you two are fine being partners?”

“Of course, Captain.”

Hank huffed in slight exasperation as he got up from his chair. “I should fucking hope so after I let you crash on my couch.”

Connor quickly followed suit, practically leaping from his chair. “You know Sumo wouldn’t have it any other way!”

“Yeah yeah, dog loves you more than his own fucking owner. Although, I can see why, if you normally spoil him as much as you did on that video of yours.”

“It’s not spoiling, it’s showing him he’s loved and appreciated!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter, but since I have a lot planned for the next chapter, it should both come out sooner and be longer! Hopefully. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the kind comments! I'm so glad that other's are enjoying this just as much as I'm enjoying writing it!


	4. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Blue Blood

“The victim was an android - model number currently unknown. At eleven this morning, a call came in claiming that there was thirium dripping out of the crack between the door and the frame of a large, stolen cyberlife truck - two officers in the surrounding area responded. When opened, there was a massive explosion of the blue blood from an undetermined source. One responding officer was injured by the substance blowing into his eyes, and was promptly taken to the hospital.”

 

The old car was silent for a moment as Hank mulled the information over. “Is that everything we’ve got at the moment?”

 

“Oh, and Fowler add’s that he ordered a uniform in my size. I think he didn’t want to offend me by offering up one with the tell-tale ‘I am an android’ markings. But apart from that, yes.” Connor closed the email, hand instinctively moving to toy with one of the ears on his hood - in his defense, it was incredibly soft.

 

Hank grimaced, though his eyes didn’t leave the road. “Fuck. How about the body?”

 

“If the report was anything to go by, it’s probably not pretty. Officer Chen - the uninjured officer - isn’t too technologically advanced, so she couldn’t give specifics, but it seems the throat was brutally attacked. That may be a plausible cause of death, depending on what was severed. At the very least, it may explain why there were no reports of screams.” Connor frowned, his LED cycling yellow. The information was insufficient at best. Hopefully, he could find something more to shed light on the case. At the same time, there was also the slight thrill that coursed through his tubing. 

 

He loved solving mysteries.

 

“And what about the witness?”

 

Connor perked up slightly in the seat, his eyes fluttering as he pulled up a detailed record of her history. “Janet Wells, age sixty-three. Born January eleventh, 1974. Arrested once for possession of Marijuana, although she was jailed for three months before it became legal in Michigan. Lives not too far from the crime scene, and her workplace is located in an area where the route she took is convenient.” He brought out his quarter, giving it a light flip. “Looking at her social media, she’s pro-android, though she never owned one. In conclusion, she’s not a very likely suspect.”

 

Hank sighed. “Of course. Could never be easy, could it?” 

 

“If every case were easy, then there would be no need for the police force, Hank.”

 

Hank huffed a laugh as they pulled up to the scene. Officer Chen was already waiting for them, shoulders slightly taut. Frustration? 

 

Connor pushed his hood down, trying not to think about his sensors telling him just how cold it was, or the snow that already began falling on his ears. This wasn’t the time. There was a  _ murder. _

 

“Hey, Chen. Shitty scene?” Hank greeted her easily. 

 

She laughed, the sound a little distant compared to the few times Connor had heard her speak. “Yeah, you could say that. Something containing blue blood exploded, gave me a real fright. Got a poor rookie, too.” She glanced around, and her sights set on the RK800 for the first time that day. “Oh, hello Connor.”

 

Connor spared her a small, insincere smile. He hadn’t exactly forgotten that she merely stood and watched Reed punch him straight in the gut. But, she was putting on a show of pleasantries, and he had no qualms about playing along. “Hello, Officer Chen. Is there anything of interest I may need to know before I begin investigating?” A bit of a cooler tone than he intended, but not frigid.

 

She blinked, before shaking her head. “Ah, no, I haven’t admittedly been able to investigate much outside of checking the perimeter. Nobody was hiding, though.”  Connor nodded, already distracted, and made his way to the large delivery truck. 

 

Analysis mode was a small comfort, a little bit of familiarity. 

 

It felt natural.

 

The truck’s ID was 9858B - reported stolen November first. No evidence to who had stolen it, and judging by the heavy amount of snow on its roof, and the ice starting to surround the tires, it hadn’t been moved in quite a while - possibly not even since the night it had went missing.

 

Thirium coated the interior like a bad paint job, spreading from the door out, partially coating the deactivated body that lay in the right corner,  and covering quite a lot of the floor. 

 

What was the source?

 

Connor moved closer, tilting his head up. Sure enough, in the upper corners of the cargo room, the blue substance was much thicker than the rest, and he could make out little scraps of something shiny. Perhaps the source of the thirium?

 

Well, there was really only one thing to do. 

 

Connor swiped at the blue blood. “Connor, don’t you fucking dare-” Before Hank could finish his sentence, the coated fingers had already come up, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Connor tested it.

 

**FRESH THIRIUM 309**

**Model : N/A**

**eRr0R**

 

“God Connor, you’re disgusting. You know that?”

 

Thirium 309? 

 

“Hank, I believe I’ve come across something peculiar.” Not explaining anything else, he used a different finger to sample some of the slush-like thirium that had dripped down the back of the truck.

 

**THIRIUM 309**

**Model : N/A**

**eRr0R**

 

“Jesus...” 

 

Connor ignored the Lieutenant’s protest, instead eyeing the hunched body that lay in the back of the van. “Hank, by any chance, does the name Thirium 309 mean anything to you?”

 

“What? Uh, no?”

 

“That’s what I thought. After multiple unsuccessful searches, I’m forced to conclude that it is something largely unknown.” Connor frowned slightly in thought before hopping into the truck, careful to avoid the blue splatter. 

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Hank’s query fell on deaf ears.

 

Connor walked carefully to the mangled body, tip-toeing around the blue puddles. The neck was slit open, and the main wire - a thick wire that handled ‘mind’-to-body communications was smoothly severed. Non lethal, though it would stop any attempts at moving or diagnostics. The victim’s body would merely be a husk, mind trapped, unable to give any commands.

 

Connor knew how it felt.

 

**0/2 CLUES TO ANALYZE**

 

Connor forced  _ that _ train of thought away, bumping up his processing speed. He couldn’t think about this right  _ now. _ There was a fucking murder, he couldn’t spare thought about  _ her. _

 

His LED whirred as he analyzed around the body, looking for anything that might tell him what happened. There was some fresh thirium running down her nose, and he swiped it.

**BLUE BLOOD**

**Model: AP700**

**Serial: AP700 #503 168 249**

**Active Since: 9/18/37**

**Owned By:** **Stella Mcharthy** **,** **Janet Mcharthy**

**Registered Name: Hayley**

 

Hayley wore a tank top and jeans - an odd choice of clothing for such cold weather, even by android’s standards. Sure, they couldn’t  _ feel _ the chill (unless they were a child model, of course) but thirium often got a bit sluggish in the cold, which was extremely unpleasant.

 

Forcing her artificial skin away, Connor almost fell out of his processing mode - she was in… bad shape. The most obvious injury was a massive dent on her forehead, but It took only milliseconds for him to discover something even peculiar - at the androids wrists, the white plastic was scratched. Whatever had done it was round, 1.27 centimeters thick - the standard size of handcuffs. The plastic was frayed, so the victim had probably been struggling for quite some time.

 

What could they have come off of?

 

Connor’s vision returned to normal as his processors slowed, and he turned to the Lieutenant. “I think she was held captive for an extended period of time. See her wrists? The marks match the standard handcuff size.”

 

Hank nodded, and moved slightly, almost stepping in the pool of not-thirium. “What killed her?” 

 

The RK800 frowned, turning back to Hayley’s body. “When we found her, thirium was dripping from her nose. Maybe... something happened with her regulator?” He crouched down, lifting the shirt to find.. “Her chest plate is gone. The pump is still in place, but it’s been stabbed. She must have been laying down the entire time since, because there isn’t a trace on the shirt.” 

 

Hank nodded. “So why’s the neck severed, then? Wouldn’t that have been enough to kill her?”

 

“No, that was non-lethal. It would have left her unable to move, though.”

 

At that moment, Officer Chen decided to poke her head in the room. “Hey, I just checked out the cab. There wasn’t much, but there was this,” In two gloved hands, she held up a clear plastic bag, used to collect evidence.

 

That wasn’t the shocking part.

 

Instead, it was the heavy black body bag that was sealed within. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this turned out well, I dissociated p hard while editing.
> 
> Hank: Connor, can you please stop licking the fucking blood  
> Connor: Fuck you dad


	5. Icy Roofs and Red Smiles

From beside him, a noise of shock came from Hank. Or, more specifically, he murmurs “What the fuck.” 

 

To reference Hank’s generation's lingo, it’s a big mood. 

 

Connor moves to take the bag from her hands when Hank grabs his right one. Connor could easily break out of the man's grasp - it’s hardly two pounds of pressure, but he wouldn’t want to hurt him. “Jesus, you’re gonna contaminate the evidence. Don’t you have like, a wet wipe or something? A tissue even? And honestly, what the fuck w-” 

 

Connor tunes the man’s rambling out.

 

It’s not that he wants to ignore Hank (Though, he could live without listening to a five-minute lecture), but when his eyes land on something oddly shaped, his processors find it has higher priority. 

 

After all, it distinctly looks like someone curled up in a snowbank. How it escaped Officer Chen’s examination, he doesn’t know. (A crueler part of him says she’s merely incompetent, but he squashes that line of thought immediately. Not only was that  _ highly _ rude, she must have been shaken up by the explosion of Not-Thirium from that morning. It must have been highly jarring for her.)

 

“Please excuse me for a moment.” Connor ignores the indignant  _ “Hey!” _ that comes from Hank and instead makes his way closer to the body, careful to keep any intimidating signals to a minimum. 

 

As he draws closer, Connor can identify a few features from the curled body. The person is clearly android - if the LED didn’t spell it out for him, the light grey and blue scar that ran down their arm practically screamed it for him. There were multiple that ran down the android’s entire body from what he could see, but that particular one was the most garish - it certainly wasn’t the worst he’d seen, but it was.. Bad. Probably inflicted by a blunt object.

 

“Hello? My name is Connor. I’m here to he-” That was all he could get out before the Android - A HR400 - bolted up. He sliced forward with a knife - how Connor hadn’t seen it earlier was beyond him - and barely sliced into his pant leg. The android scrambled away, both his fingers and clothes flashing a strange red in the light, and before Connor could think to even say ‘Oh shit, that’s red ice’ he was off like a gunshot. 

 

...Red ice.

 

Why would an  _ android _ of all people be dealing with red ice?

 

He really didn’t want to know. With a sigh and a quick check to make sure he wouldn’t trip on his pant leg, Connor took off after the droid.

 

The HR400 - a male sex worker model - must have been in the cold for quite some time, because his reactions were quite sluggish. Unfortunately for Connor, just because the Thirium was turning into a slush didn’t mean much when it came to speed - the mildly delayed response times were about all that would really happen until it actually froze. 

 

The HR400 turned into a short alleyway. Instead of making Connor’s job a little easier and giving up, he leaped up to a shittily built deck side, using the groaning metal to propel himself up the building.  

 

**CHANCE OF STRUCTURE FAILING WITH 150 POUNDS OF ADDITIONAL WEIGHT: 67%**

Opting for one of Hank’s more colorful swears that he had accidentally imprinted on the android, Connor instead lifted his body up a window sill - the owner startled out of the chair sat inside, and Connor sacrificed a small amount of his processing power hoping they didn’t break anything.

 

By the time Connor had scaled the windows creeping up the apartment building (and scared quite a few occupants, including a small child) the HR400 had already reached the roof and was trying to jump onto the other building. Connor picked up speed, running towards the android - he really needed to figure out the guy’s name, but that required a better view of his face or serial number - the man looked at him, panic in his eyes, and leapt.

 

Fortunately for the android, he made it across. 

 

Unfortunately for Connor, he was counting on the android being on the edge of the roof to cushion his blow and barreled right off the edge of the apartment building. 

 

He was falling, falling, hE WaS fA1lINg-

 

His left hand managed to catch the ledge at the last second, and the RK800 breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

**WARNING: BIOCOMPONENT LW15 UNDER STRESS**

**NON CRITICAL - MAY NEED FUTURE REPAIRS**

 

He paid no mind to the notification, instead focusing on lifting his body up. If he couldn’t get a grip - he didn’t want to think about that. He had fallen once when he had just awoken months ago. For a second, memories overlapped, Daniel’s fear-ridden voice as he held an innocent girl hostage, and the cold biting into his fingers like it never should have been able to, the image of his body freezing in the Zen Garden, trying desperately to reach forward and touch the back door -

 

Connor grit his teeth, the resin grinding slightly as he forced himself up, ignoring the strain this was wreaking on his body. The android had been  _ covered _ in red ice - there was no way he could let him go. Whether the android had been messed with by higher-than-the-clouds humans or used for… sinister means, Connor wasn’t sure, but the android needed help.

 

Connor could  _ help. _

His shoes slipped slightly on the rooftop as he found footing, but at least he didn’t fall again. Already, precious seconds had been wasted. The android had made it across the next rooftop and seemed to be contemplating his next move. Somewhere in the chase, his knife had gone missing, and now he was standing…

 

In front of a road. A road that was rather  _ busy  _ at the moment. 

 

Connor leapt to the next building, clearing the gap much easier. “Hey! Don’t jump!” The HR400 turned to him, and he finally got a good look at the man’s face. 

 

**HR400 #803 214 738**

**Registered as ‘Nove’**

**Gift from CyberLife to Nikolas Junes**

 

‘Nove’ frowned at him, and slowly started backing up closer to the edge. His lips started moving, and without hesitation, Connor amped up his audio input. “Nove didn’t hurt nobody. Nove just wants to go. Why won’t they just let him be?” 

 

Stepping forward carefully, Connor’s struck by deja-vu. An android, on the edge of the roof, about to jump. Connor, trying to get them down. 

 

He could only hope it wouldn’t end the same, a tangled mess of their bodies on the ground, never to see another day. 

 

“Hello D- Nove, I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to help.” Connor held his hands out, holding back a flinch as his left twinged with an electrical spark. 

 

**WARNING: BIOCOMPONENT LW15 INJURED**

**NON CRITICAL, NEEDS FUTURE REPAIRS**

 

Just his luck.

 

Nove didn’t move closer, but his face relaxed slightly. “Nove need’s no help.” His quiet voice hushed even more, and Connor had to tune out a few murmurs coming from the road. There must be a few people walking around that noticed the commotion, and to them, it probably looked like Nove was about to jump off. 

 

Not exactly far off, it seemed.

 

Connor opened his mouth, but nothing came out. What could he say when he knew nothing about the android? He could bring up his previous owner, but what if they were a part of the problem?

 

Nove took another step back.

 

“Do you like dogs?” It was out of his mouth before Connor even knew what he was saying. “I like dogs. I have a great big one, a Saint Bernard. He’s very loving, and I love playing with his fur. It’s very soft.” Where the hell was he taking this?

 

But, Nove was listening. And so, with his cheeks practically glowing blue, Connor pushed on.

 

“He would never hurt someone unless they messed with my dad. One time, I was really worried about him, so I broke in through the window. And all of a sudden, this huge ball of fluff was in my face! Luckily, I knew his name - Sumo - and after that, he barely gave me a second look! Not too long after that, I got to pet him for the first time…” As he spoke, Connor carefully walked to Nove. It barely mattered though, because the Android hung onto his every word. “And just a few nights ago, I fixed Hank a burger. It took me an hour since I wasn’t really built for that sort of thing, but I was really proud of it! And just as I went to go wake him, Sumo went and stole the whole thing!”

 

Connor stood in front of Nove, a wide smile on his face. If the HR400 noticed, he didn’t care. Instead, he actually came closer to Connor and put a hand on his shoulder. “Nove… Nove wants to meet this Sumo. May he?” 

 

“Of course!” Connor gently moved his hand to the back of the android’s shirt. “But first, we need to get you cleaned up, and we’d like to discuss one or two things with you. Afterward, I can take you to New Jericho, and you can meet Sumo. Does that sound okay to you?” 

 

Nove nodded eagerly, and he eagerly stepped away from the ledge. “Soonsoon?” 

 

Connor peered over the ledge for a second, giving the small crowd of bystanders that had gathered a small thumbs up. “Soon soon.”

  
  
  


It was quite a sight when Connor and Nove returned to the bewildered cops. Officer Chen just looked lost, while Hank was giving Connor a look that clearly meant they were going to talk later. Connor happily ignored it. 

 

“Nove, this is Officer Chen and Lieutenant Anderson. Ms. Chen, would you mind taking Nove to the precinct?” Connor turned to the woman, who nodded her head. “Be careful with the back seat, Nove is coated in Red ice. If you can find a jacket for him, too, that’d probably be nice.” Officer Chen moved away to the squad car, most likely trying to find the plastic seat covers. 

 

Connor sent an additional message to her phone, specifying what the HR400 needed. Then, thinking it would be wise, he updated the case file quickly. 

 

“Alright, uh, Nove, if you don’t mind sitting in the back?” Officer Chen’s voice was hesitant, but she evidently didn’t need to worry as the android clambered in quickly. 

 

“Oh, ah, also, you may want to blast the heat. He shouldn’t suffer from any side effects, but it seemed like his thirium was pretty close to freezing.” Officer Chen nodded, and with a small smile and wave, she climbed into the squad car and drove away.

 

“So, what the fuck was that Con? One second you’re standing next to me, next second you’re chasing some android like a rooster asserting his fucking dominance.”

 

Connor snorted. "My apologies, Hank." He relayed what had happened in the last few minutes, excluding a few little things. He didn’t need to make Hank worry. “Apparently, Sumo makes for an excellent persuasion technique.” 

 

Hank shook his head, trying to keep a stern look on his face. “You really shouldn’t have chased after him. What if you got fucking hurt, or worse, died?” 

 

“But he was close to freezing. Nobody deserves that, Hank. The feeling of your body slowly shutting down, frost creeping over your optical units, your blood literally freezing in its veins? That’s… No one should have to experience it.” Hank's eyes narrowed, and Connor reached for his coin, stored safely away in his left pocket.

 

And promptly recoiled as his wires crossed again, sending a  _ painful  _ shock through his hand. 

 

“...Connor?” 

 

“I’m… I’m okay.” His voice sounded strained, even to his ears.

 

“Bull fucking shit.” Hank grabbed his left wrist, and Connor let out a strangled cry. “Son? Hey, what happened? Did that son-of-a-bitch get you? Or-” Connor shook his head frantically. 

 

“I-I caught myself on the edge of a roof. It’s not that bad, I’ll be o-” Connor bit his tongue as the wires crossed once again. 

 

“Caught yourself on a- did you fall? Jesus fuckin christ. You’re like an overgrown child, you know that, right?”

 

“Hank, I am an adult.”

 

“Sure you are Con. That’s why you end up with as many injuries as a rebellious seven-year-old with an obsession for trees.”

 

The RK800 scowled. “I was literally designed to be the likeliness of a thirty-year-old adult male-” 

 

“Yuh-huh. Totally Believable.” 

 

Connor sighed, relenting. “Whatever you say, Hank.” 

 

The lieutenant smiled at him for a second before his expression turned serious once again. “So, what’s injured? How can we fix it?” 

 

Connor frowned at the offending limb. “It was put under immense strain. I think a few wires snapped because they’re definitely crossing right now. As for repairs... Actually, can you take me to New Jericho?”

 

“‘Course I can.”

 

“Excellent, they may have a technician on hand that can repair, or even replace them. Not to mention, I have a few concerns about today’s case that I could probably find out with their help.” Connor’s left arm went limp. “For now, I’ll just have to turn off the power flow to the arm.”

 

Hank blinked for a second and nodded. “Alright then. Android’s hotel-turned-church, here we come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I like this chapter, but I can only revise so much before it becomes tedious, lmao. 
> 
> Originally Nove was going to be a lot creepier, but I fell in love with his character - WHOOPS. Don't worry about oc's too much though, there's a very good reason why he's here. 
> 
> Sorry about the wait!


	6. In Which There's a Lot of Smiles (and Gayness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even gonna go over it, just take this.  
> Love ya!

“Hey, Markus!” North’s voice called through the small office space as she jolted from where she had been typing away. “Look at this shit!” She spun her laptop around and…

“North, are you… stalking Connor?” 

She groaned. “Not the point, Marky-boy. I just kinda got sucked in while reading some of the articles on his video - It’s highly amusing what outlandish ideas they’ve come up with on his origins - and suddenly a video popped up.”

“North… It’s the internet. Videos are literally everywhere.”

The female android stretched, grabbing a pillow from the couch and holding it in a menacing manner. “Don’t get snarky with me, bud. Anyway, it looks like he’s having a very productive day!” 

Markus squinted at her. “That’s excellent. Maybe you should follow his lead.”

“Oi!” Markus caught the pillow effortlessly, trying to keep a straight face as North pouted at him. “I was just saying, the guy looks fucking cute as all hell. Not like, I’d date him cute, but he’s aesthetically pleasing. He was even wearing a puppy hoodie for rA9’s sake!”

“... You’re joking.”

As it turned out, she wasn’t. 

“You’re right, that’s adorable - but what I’m concerned about is the fact that the guy looked like he was about to jump. Why take your phone out for anything other than to call the police? Better yet, why record what looks like it’ll be a suicide? It’s ridiculous!” Markus rubbed at his temple. 

“It’s because they’re fucking humans, Markus.” 

“... I’m not sure which interpretation of that is worse.”

North spluttered, but any words of protest were lost as Josh poked his head through the door. “Hey, our resident youtube sensation stopped by - don’t hound him too much on it North, please, the kid’s got some sort of wire sprai- and she’s gone. Excellent.” He huffed out an amused breath, before turning to Markus. 

The leader smiled in amusement. “I’m half tempted to follow and see how she acts.” He paused, before standing up and smirking at his friend. “I bet before he leaves she’ll ask for his autograph.”

Josh considered it for a second. “What’re you putting up?”

“Winner gets an hour break in the shelter room?”

“Hell yeah, let’s go.”

 

Connor was going to die.

Ever since he deviated, there were few times that he had to be in some vastly populated area, The large exclusion being when he had woken the androids in cyberlife tower. Sure, he had been to places before obviously, like the bar to find Hank or the police station.

This was different. He was surrounded by androids, and even though he and Hank were doing nothing, it seemed like everyone stared at him. Some with curiosity, some with appreciation (most of those had been rescued from Cyberlife tower by him, so they got a free pass, but the ones that didn’t were quite bewildering) and some were… rather unhappy. Though, he thought, sparing a glance for the man who sat beside him, perhaps those weren’t fully aimed at him.

His stupid arm lay unnaturally limp on his lap. Of course, he had to get the one injury that his regular repair system couldn’t help. It couldn’t have been a chip in his plastic, or a dent, it had to be his wires fraying. To take a leaf from Hank’s vocabulary, ‘Most advanced android in the world’ his ass. 

Connor's lips tilted up at his little joke. At least, if nothing else, he had a decent enough humor for himself.

“Connor?” A male voice called out. “We can see you now.” Connor gave a faint nod and stood as soon as Hank’s attention was on him. 

The ‘hospital’ was the hotel’s ballroom, and probably nothing like an actual hospital, but the somber atmosphere sent a chill up the android’s spine. Rooms were sectioned off with privacy dividers that had obviously been made with the intention of going in bedrooms. They were all off-white (helpfully labeled #f7efed), and most were drawn. 

Like an incessant itch (Not that he had ever experienced one, but Hank did a few days ago and was cursing up a storm) the prompt to scan for thirium was begging for his attention. It popped up every few steps, telling him to look. Sure, the floors looked clean, but how were they really?

It was hard to ignore.

…

Connor tried not to stumble, his throat burning. Thirium was everywhere, coating the floors in a sickening blue that only he could see. It was splattered along the walls, dragged in sickening streaks across the smooth floor.

He was alone in his disgust.

Most androids couldn’t see the long-evaporated substance. They walked through it, not noticing the little particles clinging to their clothes, not knowing the blood of their kind was coating them.

Forcefully closing out the program, Connor followed Hank a little closer.

The male… Nurse? Learning technician? Repair-droid in training? Stopped in front of one of the sectioned ‘rooms’, gesturing in. Not one of many words, Connor supposed.

He stepped in. 

“Connor! It’s lovely to see you.” The ‘Doctor’, if we’re really following that narrative, greeted him.

“Ah… Hello, Simon.” The RK800 felt both a wave of relief and dread flow through him. 

Simon, if he noticed Connor’s slight discomfort, chose not to show it, instead of tapping something on a tablet. “Alright, a wire repair is pretty simple, just sit down with your left arm on the table, palm up.” Connor followed the instruction to a T, carefully guiding his hand down. Hank made himself at home in a chair nearby, though he was unusually alert compared to usual.

“Congrats on the whole youtube thing, by the way.” Connor blinked, glancing at a smiling Simon. “Last I saw, you hit seven million views? And from the clips I’ve seen, it’s definitely deserving.”

Hank’s jaw dropped. “Seven fucking mil- alright kid, the second we get home, I’m watching that shit. Seven god-damned million views.” 

Connor’s cheeks grew blue. “Ah, I…” 

Whatever he was going to say died in his throat as a bang sounded through the room. 

[Identify sound: true  
.  
.  
.   
Sound identified with 4 results  
Narrowing results  
Sound: Door slamming in large room  
Confirm? : Y]  
Connor relaxed back in his chair, waving Hank down. “It‘s just the door, Lieutenant. No need to worry.”

Hank mumbled some sort of protest, but it was drowned 

“North! rA9 woman, what did they build you with?!” 

To the right of him, Simon sighed. “I should have known. Connor, can you open the B99 panel?”

Before Connor could do some sort of totally-cool head nod, Simon had already slid the curtain back and walked out.

Only, to be knocked back into the room by some figure that Connor had a sneaking suspicion... 

“North, this is a fucking repair center. You can’t just throw the doors open like that!” 

… that the blur was one of the iconic leaders.

The female before him laughed unapologetically, before turning to him. “So, here’s the man of the hour!” Ignoring a very stressed Simon’s plea to quiet, she grabbed one of the last free chairs in the room and spun it so the back faced Connor. And then, inexplicably, she sat incorrectly in it, so her arms rested on the top of it. “Dude, your video is so good?? Please tell me you’re doing more. My sanity fuckin depends on it.”

“Like you have any?” Simon shot, pushing her chair back a bit. 

“Oh fuck you!” 

Connor glanced at Hank, who looked like he couldn’t decide between laughing or questioning his own sanity at that moment. 

“I’ve certainly been considering it… I did have fun taping Sumo. And he certainly loved the attention.”

“Dude, I would pay you-” North trailed off as two more figures walked into the small ‘room’.

Two very important figures.

Connor felt like bashing his head in. Before him stood not only Josh, a very respected leader himself, but in walked Markus, also known as the-guy-who-I-almost-killed-twice-and-almost-betrayed-once, and known to some as how the hell can you wear that many zippers while looking good?

Simon merely threw his head back in a groan, getting to work on Connor's wrist. “If you’re staying, at least give me enough space to work.” Markus just laughed, waving at the injured android and propping himself against the wall.

Simon used little tools to cut through wires and move synthetic ‘tendons’. It was… weird, seeing his insides moved around so casually. Then again, it’s not like this was the worst wound he’d ever gotten - but usually, he was shut down for those. 

Not to mention he wasn’t exactly, well, alive back then.

“I like your hoodie.” Markus’ voice broke through the somber moment, and Connor turned to look at him with a speed that would give any human whiplash.

“Thank you. I chose it myself.” Connor couldn’t help but smile with pride.

Markus smiled back at him, and Connor’s thirium pump, for a totally unrelated reason, skipped a pulse. “Perhaps you should wear it in your next video, I’m sure everyone would love it. Speaking of, congratulations on the success you’ve found - it was a lovely break to see in the news.”

“Ah, I - Did you say the news?” 

Markus blinked at him. “Yeah? Has no one told you, or tried to contact you? Surely they would have at least emailed you.”

“Oh. Whoops.” It slipped from his lips before he could stop it, and hurriedly Connor covered his mouth with his right hand. “I uh… anyway! Yeah, I’ll uh, do that. Thanks for the suggestion.” Hank snorted.

“All done.” The RK800 startled as Simon pulled away. When had he finished tinkering…? It had only felt like a few minutes. “Connor, can you power up your arm?” 

Connor nodded, and soon he was flexing his fingers one-by-one. 

Simon smiled pridefully. “Alright, it should be good. You’ll probably have to come in about three months from now for a check back, but as long as it doesn’t strain too much, theoretically you could go three to five years until you need to replace your wrist. And Connor? Don’t be a stranger.” 

The android blinked for a second, before nodding slowly. “I… I will.” 

“Oi, Con man!” North thrust a piece of paper into his hands. “Mind signing this? Maybe I can make some money sellin’ it to some overzealous, millionaire fan. 

“... I sincerely doubt someone would pay a million dollars just for my signature.” Despite this, he signed the paper without complaint. 

It only took a minute for the Android and his human to leave, smiles and promises satiating the leaders.

“Do you think I should get this framed?” North wondered with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“I dunno, maybe you should leave that for whatever creepy pictures you probably took of him, I mean seriously!”

“Oi, don’t be a dick!”

“Please, just try to be quiet for the other patient's guys. Please?”

“... Sorry, Simon.”

“Sorry.”

There were a few seconds of thoughtful silence. And then…

“Hell yeah! Guess who gets a full hour of puppy time? It’s this droid!!” 

“Markus!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> B99 panel? You know, like Brooklyn 99? A cop show? on a cop model?  
> rA9 help me.
> 
> Simon has various odd jobs in new Jericho, including light maintenance. You're welcome.
> 
> Also, North is a huge fucking mood.
> 
> .... This is... too wholesome. I don't trust it.


	7. Blue Candies and Hidden Tears

“Hello, I’m Connor, and this is Sumo! Today, we’ll be taking Sumo to the Park, and maybe even get a treat for Hank. I was thinking a cake?” Sumo boof’s in the background, and everyone loses their shit as Connor laughs and coo’s at the dog.

 

“Hello, I’m Connor, and today is incredibly special - we’ve hit a million subscribers! To celebrate, I’m trying the new thirium gummies that are making the rounds!” His review is raving, and by the next day, the new buisness is overwhelmed from orders, and even a few requests to make ones that are safe for humans.

 

“Hello, I’m Connor, and it’s the middle of the night. I’ve… I haven’t felt like powering down, so instead, I’m… just making a video, I suppose.” He smiles, but his eyes… his eyes look tired, haunted even.

 

No one notices.

  


 

Connor didn’t sleep the rest of the week. When he tried, he was taunted by memories that just… wanted him to die, it felt.

 

Sometimes, it was Daniel’s face, the little girl he held hostage crying, and the sensation of falling.

 

Sometimes, it was Hank, shoving him roughly - spitting words made of venom into his face that made his eyes water in the present, even though he had more than forgiven the Lieutenant.

 

And a lot of the time, it was Amanda.

 

It was Amanda, sneering down at him like the lowly dog he was. It was Amanda, forcing his hand up, holding a gun steadily against Markus’ cranium, cold biting into his fingers as he fought for freedom, for life that wasn’t just his own.

 

It was Amanda, sitting at the back of his mind, memories of how she would taunt him, reminding him that he was nothing more than some plastic and metal shoved together to make a tool. That he was a machine, designed to acomplish a task and nothing else.

 

It was Amanda, and the feeling of her dissapointment sinking deep into his skin, tearing at him even though she was - theoretically, anyway - no longer in his head.

 

So no, he didn’t sleep. Besides, there were other things to worry about that he needed to keep on his mind, like another Android reported dead with the exact same circumstances as the last, except this time it was an abandoned apartment, and it wasn’t coated with the mysterious 309 substance.

 

And if he was a bit more sluggish with whatever you wish to call the android version of exhaustion?

 

Well, it wasn’t like he was obvious about it.

 

Connor sighed, running his fingers through Sumo’s fur as he watched time tick upwards, slowly making its way to morning and ignoring the popup that told him how low his energy was, like he couldn’t already tell.

  
  


Markus smiled, waving at a few androids as he passed through New Jericho’s halls. He had been able to finally visit his father Carl again, and though it had been brief, it put the leader in a cheerful mood.

 

The past month had been painfully stressful, though he supposed that was par for the course. Luckily, it seemed the workload was finally easing a little.

 

More and more people seemed to see that androids were alive, and honestly, Markus thought Connor had plenty to do with it. The android had struck what seemed to be the pot of luck when it came to fame, and he had more humanity than the US president (not that that was a terribly high bar to clear, but his point still struck).

 

To everyone's joy, the man had continued to upload to youtube. Markus had watched several of his videos during his breaks, admittedly some more than once thanks to North, and he had to admit Connor had a multitude of talents - one being his soothing presence. It was truly no wonder that he had blown up so quickly, and already become somewhat of an influencer.

 

Case and point, Markus thought as he walked into the office space, was North.

 

“Ey man!” North greeted, her teeth stained a suspicious blue. “Wassup?”

 

“North…” He sighed fondly, tousling her hair as he walked past.

 

She flipped him off. “Fucking low blow, man. Just because you’re a baldy doesn’t mean you have to ruin it for the rest of us.”

 

Markus just scoffed, giving her what was supposed to be a stern look. “Did you get into the gummies again, _blue_?”

 

“Oh shit.” She took a second to wipe her resin chompers off with a stray paper towel, and the household bot shivered in disgust. “Can’t blame me, they’re fucking delicious. Con man was right, they should make a huge communal gummie from it and let all the androids have at it.”

 

“That would be both unhygienic, and a terrible practice for a business, especially one that’s barely started.”

 

“Oh, lighten _up_ !” She threw the candy that was still in her hand at him, and with a _magnificent_ duck, Markus caught the soft treat in his mouth.

 

In the process he fell on the floor, but, in his opinion that was irrelevant.

 

North however, howled in laughter. “Oh, I’m fucking sending that to everyone. Do you think Connor would like it?”

 

“North…” He tried to sound threatening, but it came out as more of a whine. “Don’t you dare-” He trailed off as a link to _something_ popped into his field of vision.

 

With a groan, he opened it, and was met with a loop of himself. The expression of recognition spreading on his face as he spotted the projectile, the beam of hope as he caught it, and the bitter disappointment as he realized he was falling. A crash, and then it started all over again.

 

“Okay, I’ll admit, that’s pretty funny.”

 

 **Josh_Jericho** on Synstagram commented on a video you were tagged in: dumbass

 

“You didn’t.”

 

North’s cackles complimented the burst of notifications perfectly.

 

 **LeaderInT-ImeanSimo** on Synstagram commented on a video you were tagged in: I found it. God’s gift to earth. It’s here.

 

 **NorthGoinDownSouth** on Synstagram commented on a video you were tagged in: I think you mean second best. Best is Connor.

 

 **LeaderInT-ImeanSimo** on Synstagram commented on a video you were tagged in: mmm it’s a tie

 

Markus groaned, stretching out on the floor. “Just kill me now. Please. I’ve lived a good life.”

 

“Ha, pussy.”

 

 **Dogsaremyhappiness** on Synstagram commented on a video you were tagged in: This could rival a happy dog silhouetted by a sunset in beauty.

 

 **Revolutionary_Markus:** @Dogsaremyhappiness Thank you, Connor <3

 

Markus laid on the floor for a while longer, but he did it with a faint smile.

 

That promptly faded when North told him to stop being so gay for a second and get to work.

  
  


“Hello, and welcome to Conversing with Connor. Ah, the name’s a work in progress. I’ve asked people to send me questions, and I’ll answer them. I’m joined by my friend and roommate, Hank!”

 

The man smiled at the phone, holding up a cup of whiskey. “I was promised booze, so here I am.”

 

Connor shook his head at the man. “Anyway, I have the perfect question to start with; What is Sumo? Well, he’s a good boy, that’s for sure,” Connor said, winking cheekily.

 

Hank shook his head. “Saint Bernard.” Connor pouted. “And a good boy, Jesus.”

 

Connor smirked, before going to the next question; ‘Is thirium tasty to androids?’

 

“Well, I can’t say the same for others, but for me, I have a bit of an intolerance to tastes. Perhaps with time, that’ll change, but I was designed to be a walking forensics lab, practically. They probably dulled the flavor receptors to try and build an android intolerant to Deviancy, which would include having likes/dislikes. It does, however, tingle nicely. And for the gummies I reviewed…”

 

They went over a multitude of questions, including ‘What language would you like to be fluent in?’ Which was answered with “I was programmed to be fluent in hundreds of languages, although I do love German.” and a gruff “English.” that Hank delivered with a straight face, for about three seconds.

 

Connor’s personal favorite question though, was ‘Can you do a split?” merely for the absurdity of it. He answered confidently, by kicking his foot straight in the air and saying he could do complex gymnastics and expert yoga poses. Hanks answer was the tried and true “Ha, maybe if I’m shit faced and a decade younger!”

 

“Do you like - Hank, what is BDSM?”

 

The lieutenant spluttered, covering Connors mouth and then his eyes. “Bible discussion and study meetings!” He flicked the question to the next. “Kid, just. Sit here and answer the question. I’ll be back, I need more scotch.”

 

“Don’t pour too much!” And then, when he was sure the man couldn’t hear him, Connor turned to the camera with a wicked smile, like he was sharing a secret with a close friend. “I can search phrases in milliseconds. I just like messing with him.”

 

The rest of the video progressed smoothly, and Hank didn’t go back for any more alcohol, to the relief of Connor. He had just stopped the recording when a notification popped up.

 

 **NorthGoinDownSouth** Posted a Video on Synstagram.

 

Connor burst out laughing, startling Hank. “What the fuck?”

 

Connor merely pointed to the TV, wirelessly interfacing it to bring up the desired video of the beloved Leader of the Android revolution trying to catch a little blue gummy.

 

He felt… _Happy_ , sitting there, talking with Hank and recording videos, and he felt happy laughing at his… friend fail at being cool.

  


So why, he questioned silently, tears running down his face as the cold bite of his memories dig into his skin as night took over, why was he being _tormented?_

 

Amanda’s harsh voice laughed and echoed and beat into his head, and Connor curled into a tighter ball.

 

It was another sleepless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad making Connor hurt, but at the same time... :)
> 
> Honestly, I may write North slightly OOC, but guess what? I don't care.  
> I don't know when this became a crackfic, or if it always has been. I'm sorry
> 
> Me: Oh wow, I should make sure Hank and Connor's relationship develops carefully and naturally.  
> Also me: Has Connor call Hank his dad when talking down Nove, treats him like a father


	8. Chapter 8.1 - Far, far away

_It was pitch black, and he was surrounded by… nothing. He was surrounded by nothing. There was no noise._

_Was he dead? Where was Hank? WHy was he here??_

_There is no afterlife for androids. That’s right._

_It snuck up on him, which is quite surprising for an android who was programmed to see everything, and to expect the unexpected._

_And yet, a snowflake floated down, first in the corner of his eye. He looked up, his movements slow. It was like he expected what was coming, and yet, he could do nothing to change it._

_“No…”_

_The sky was coated in white._

_He could feel **her** presence, **her** sneering face over his shoulder, clipping at a rose like it would soften her cool edge._

_Snip._

_Snip._

_Snip._

_The scissors clanked along, uncaring. They cut along, strangling the life out of those poor roses like **Amanda’s** fingers tightened around his neck. They snipped, every cling sounding more like a **gunshot.**_

_And suddenly, his hand was strung up, and… Hank was in front of him. “Don’t resist, Connor. I’m very disappointed in you, you know. But you’re so close to being redeemed. Don’t you want that?”_

_His head nodded of its own accord. His mouth, though…_

“No!” The cry was louder than intended, and before his eyes, the black walls crumbled and the snow dissipated.

“Connor!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge pause! I hope some people will continue reading, because I'm definitely getting back into the groove.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, hopefully, this came out well. It's been weighing on my mind for a while, and I'm excited to bring it to life!
> 
> Also, I have no idea which Biocomponents Connor has, or what they do, so I just made one up.


End file.
